Dominick Cruz Talks Cody Garbrandt: “I Thought he Was CM Punk”

Following Cody Garbrandt’s emphatic win over Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 202, talk about him throwing down with 135 champ Dominick Cruz has never been greater.

Garbrandt and Cruz have slinging verbal shots at each for a little while, particularly since “No Love” bombed out fellow prospect Thomas Almeida in May. After Garbrandt’s win on Saturday night, the heavy handed fighter called out Cruz again, who was in attendance as part of his commentating duties.

Well, during the FOX Sports 1 broadcast, Cruz and Garbrandt exchanged words once more. After doing so, the champ had this to say about the Team Alpha Male fighter (quote via Bloody Elbow):

“Garbrandt’s been running his mouth for a long time. After I got done fighting Faber, he was right there already jawing, talking about me polishing the belt and whatnot. And it’s like, “Man, alright. Now you’ve disrespected me before I even knew who you were.” I didn’t even say one word to this man. I didn’t even know who he was! No clue! I just thought he was an up-and-comer with crazy tattoos. I thought he was CM Punk for a second, and then he got it together and I was like, “Oh, shoot – that’s not. That’s the CM Punk of the 135 pound division, he’s got all the hype behind him.” So maybe I should just go in there, take the wind from his sails, and then move on and keep beating everybody else.”

Wow. Not only is Cruz the greatest bantamweight ever, but he is one of the best in the game at breaking down fights, slinging trash, and promoting a fight. That’s quite the combination.

The big question is, however, will the UFC go with Cruz – Garbrandt? Even with with TJ Dillashaw and Bryan Caraway waiting in the wings? Who are ranked above Garbrandt? Considering all the buzz there is for this fight, the promotion certainly might.